The Institute for Sustainable Development and the Associated Students of CSU, Chico would like to welcome you to our 13th annual This Way to Sustainability Conference. This year’s conference theme, “When will climate neutrality become our climate reality?,” recognizes that we are increasingly confronting new global socioeconomic and environmental challenges. This conference represents a time to reflect on and explore innovative ideas, grounded in sustainable development principles, which can help guide us through the uncertainties of our shared future. We encourage you to join in open conversation, learn from each other, and build new friendships and professional associations. During the next two days, we will explore collaborative and interdisciplinary solutions to unsustainable practices; to that end, we have organized cross-disciplinary conference tracks, investigating the interface between environmental, cultural, economic, and social concerns. We look forward to hearing the perspectives you bring to our shared hopes and vision for a sustainable future.

This year's included topics:

Water Resources

What are the critical ethical, social, environmental, and economic determinants of and impacts on water resources of changing climate and population dynamics?

How should water resources be equitably allocated between users?

Climate Impacts & Solutions

Cause and effects of climate change

How to assess climate impacts and plan adapation strategies for resilience

Solutions ~ how can we link climate change knowledge with potential implementation strategies

Food & Agriculture

How water availability and temperature changes affect our current level of food supplies

Economic impacts and their consequences

How changes in food access affect individuals and communities health

The role of food security in community vitality; social, environmental, ethical, and economic factors

Agricultural methods available to mitigate these challenges

Lifestyles, Health & Wellness

To what extent and how are health and wellness correlated to vibrant communities?

What individual, social, cultural, and other factors enhance or inhibit a community’s resilience?

What community services are most critical to ensuring livability?

Energy and the Environment

What will a carbon-neutral energy future look like, and how can we get there?

What roles do conservation and energy efficiency play in this future, and what are the associated technological and behavioral needs?

Infrastructure and Transportation

How can communities prepare for climate-related impacts on their infrastructure and transportation dependent commerce

How can we alter commerce and commute patterns to reduce climate impacts?

How do we create more livable communities?

Laws, Policies and Business

How might we reform our laws and policies so that we don't run ourselves out of business in America?

How do current laws and policies influence or economic vitality?

How can we prepare future generations for jobs in California?

How can we influence laws and policies to secure jobs long term?

Community Partnerships & Action

How can we as a community take meaningful, deliberate, collective action to remedy the impact of problems in our community?

Public Safety

Self Sufficiency

Citizen Engagement

Addressing Homelessness Issues

Educating for Resilience

What combination or knowledge and skills are most critical to providing future generations with capacity to address a constantly changing and dynamic world?

How and in what ways can engaging students in community activities and research enhance resilience?

Student Engagement

How have students worked to engage and activate other students, community, faculty, staff, families, etc.?

How have student groups worked to change the problems we face?

What projects have been implemented, what ideas have been formed, and how will they accomplish these goals?

RCI - Resilient Cities Initiative

The Resilient Cities Initiative (RCI) is an award-winning university-community partnership program established by the Institute for Sustainable Development at California State University, Chico in 2016. The RCI connects real-world community sustainability projects with faculty expertise and student innovation from departments and disciplines across the University’s academic colleges.

Disclaimer:
The Institute for Sustainable Development provides access to relevant research and education about sustainability, as well as an open forum for discussion about sustainable practices. In some cases we may not share the same viewpoints or opinions of some of our participants.